Putin Signs Law That Eases Citizenship Restrictions for Russian Speakers

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that allows Russian speakers to easily obtain Russian citizenship and another law that makes it harder for foreign workers to receive a working visa. Both bills passed Russian Parliament on April 16.

To receive the residency permit, a person must be fluent in Russian and have parents or grandparents who once lived in Russia:

According to the law, a foreign citizen or stateless person will have to be interviewed by a special commission to be recognized as a native Russian speaker. They must demonstrate fluency in Russian and use it every day both at home and in other types of communication.

People with parents or grandparents who “live or previously lived on the territory of the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire within the boundaries of the modern Russian Federation,” as stated by the law, can also apply for the interview.

To qualify, the person must move to Russia, and the permit will be revoked if citizenship is not applied for within two years.

In the second law, as Breitbart News reported, foreign workers “must prove knowledge of Russian language and knowledge of history, as well as the legal framework of the Russian Federation.” The person needs at least three documents that prove all three. If the document is over five years old, new ones must be produced.